Cathay Pacific will be launching a new four-times-weekly service between Hong Kong and Tel Aviv, set to commence on March 26, 2017, subject to government approval.
The carrier will fly to the Israeli city on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, with slight variations to the schedule in summer and winter. When the service comes online in March it will be departing at 0100 and arriving 0740, while the return leg will depart Tel Aviv at 1350 and arrive back in Hong Kong at 0510 the following morning.
The airline’s Airbus A350-900 will be deployed on the direct route, coming equipped with Cathay Pacific’s latest cabin products, an enhanced in-flight entertainment system and wifi connectivity in business, premium economy and economy classes.
Designed to enhance customer comfort with LED mood lighting, panoramic windows and a quiet cabin, the extra-wide-body aircraft is set to form the core of Cathay Pacific’s mid-size long-haul fleet. The airline already has five in service and will take delivery of a total of 22 by the end of 2017. Cathay Pacific will also be deploying the aircraft on its Auckland and Rome services this month, and on its Paris, Melbourne and Vancouver routes from November 2016, February 2017 and March 2017, respectively.
Speaking about the new Tel Aviv route, the airline’s chief executive, Ivan Chu, said: “We are excited to be launching a direct link to Tel Aviv, which has established itself as a culturally rich and technologically advanced business capital. As an important market in the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, Israel offers tremendous potential for business and leisure travel.”
The new service adds to a number of new operations recently launched by the airline, including its services to Madrid and London Gatwick, the latter also being operated by the carrier’s A350-900 aircraft. Chu added that these new routes reflect the carrier’s commitment to “further strengthening Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s great international aviation hubs.”
The schedule for the new Tel Aviv service will be as follows (all times local):
Summer schedule in 2017
| Flight No. | From | To | Departs | Arrives | Days of operation |
| CX675 | HKG | TLV | 0100 | 0740 | Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun |
| CX674 | TLV | HKG | 1350 | 0510+1 |
Winter schedule in 2017
| Flight No. | From | To | Departs | Arrives | Days of operation |
| CX675 | HKG | TLV | 0100 | 0700 | Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun |
| CX674 | TLV | HKG | 1245 | 0515+1 |
